


Swimming Home

by dragonflower



Category: Free!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-25
Updated: 2014-09-25
Packaged: 2018-02-18 19:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2358878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonflower/pseuds/dragonflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka visits Makoto after a long stay abroad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swimming Home

**Author's Note:**

> Home is where the heart is.

The pool was calm, all of Makoto’s students having left for the day. The clear water was inviting, but Haru steered himself away. He wasn’t a teenager anymore.

Makoto stood at the corner of the pool, his back half turned towards Haru. His normally floppy brown hair cut short, only a few finger lengths on top. His tall muscular frame leaned over, Makoto’s face scrunched in concentration. He marked down something on his clip board, age showing on his thinner face, the lines around his mouth deeper.

“Makoto,” Haru spoke up as he approached his friend. Makoto jumped, still easily frightened after all these years.

“Haru!” Makoto spun around, his warm green eyes wide. “You’re not supposed to be here until tomorrow!”

“I caught an early flight. I’m tired of hotels.”

“The apartment is a mess but I—” Suddenly Makoto relaxed, his mouth widening into a smile. “I’m glad you’re here Haru-chan. It’s been a while.”

Don’t call me chan, died on Haru’s lips at his friends’ fond expression. It had been a while. Six months and seven days.

Training for Haru’s most recent competition had been brutal, but worth it; Haru could still feel the weight of his silver medal against his chest, the medal a sold reminder of how far he had come and what he had won.

“I watched your match. It was great, Haru. Not even Rin could keep up with you.”

A faint smile tugged at Haru’s lips. It had been a good match. He had beaten Rin by mere miliseconds, but in the water those seconds felt the longest as you were pushing through the water.

“It was a good race. Smithson and Rin were stiff competition,” said Haru. Smithson was a new up and comer who swum for the American team. He was tall and broad, whipping through the water at speeds Haru swore he’d push himself towards.

“When we get home, we’ll order in some celebratory dinner. A new place opened up near home. I think you’ll like it. It has mackerel and…” Makoto’s voice faded from focus, Haru watching his animated friend, taking in everything he had missed over the past months. _Home _was a word that Haru desired after years spent travelling, never stationary for as long as Haru would’ve liked.__

__Seeing the world was remarkable. Meeting other swimmers, visiting other cultures, swimming with people Haru had never fathomed to imagine was exhilarating. It was better than the high he had gained from just swimming with Rin. Because now they were on a whole new stage, pushing and pulling each other higher and higher, new and talented swimmers joining forces. It was thrilling and daunting, the buzz worth every stroke of his arms and flutter kick through the water. Yet, after competitions, Haru could feel his age catching up with him, his body more heavy than it used to be. And pools around the world started to look the same after years abroad, the pleasure he got from a new bed of water filling him more with calm then excitement._ _

__At times, Haru found himself craving the Iwatobi Swim Club pool. The work they had put into making the pool theirs. The time spent with his friends before life got busy and so different. The sense of home he felt when he looked back upon his high school years. It comforted him to think about his friends when nights were long in an unfamiliar city. He loved the life he had created for himself, but at times the path he carved felt lonely. The new team he was on strange._ _

__“Haru?” Makoto said, breaking through Haru’s thoughts. “Are you okay?”_ _

__“Yeah.” Haru shook his head, thoughts dropping away, blue eyes bright. “Let’s go home.”_ _


End file.
